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Daily Dirt 03/19/2024 01:19:29

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January 30
Bubba Raceway Park,
Ocala, FL
Sanction: Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series (BRP Winter Nationals) - $10,000
Information provided by: Kyle McFadden, series and track reports (last updated January 31, 6:01 pm)
Davenport wins $10,000 in convincing Ocala run
BRP Winter Nationals
  1. Jonathan Davenport
  2. Ashton Winger
  3. Dennis Erb Jr.
  4. Tyler Erb
  5. Devin Moran
  6. Tim McCreadie
  7. Chase Junghans
  8. Brandon Overton
  9. Max Blair
  10. Earl Pearson Jr.
  11. Brian Shirley
  12. Tanner English
  13. Daulton Wilson
  14. Brandon Sheppard
  15. Garrett Smith
  16. Garrett Alberson
  17. Hudson O'Neal
  18. Matt Cosner
  19. Ricky Thornton Jr.
  20. Tyler Bruening
  21. Kyle Bronson
  22. Ross Robinson
  23. Spencer Hughes
  24. Blair Nothdurft
  25. Logan Roberson
  26. Jack Riggs
  27. Wil Herrington
  28. Kyle Larson
presented by
Heath Lawson/heathlawsonphotos.com
Jonathan Davenport won $10,000 Monday at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, Fla.
What won the race: Retaking the lead from Dennis Erb Jr. with 12 laps remaining, Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, Ga., pulled away to win Monday’s Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series main event at Bubba Raceway Park. Davenport held on following cautions on lap 37 and lap 39 to win by 1.061 seconds ahead Ashton Winger, who slipped by Erb Jr. with two laps to go.
Key notes: The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series concluded its five-race season-opening weekend with Monday’s $10,000-to-win feature at Bubba Raceway Park. … Davenport, who won his fourth feature overall of 2023, is the fourth different Lucas Oil Series winner in five events to kick off the season. Along with Davenport, Brandon Overton of Evans, Ga., won twice at Golden Isles; Kyle Larson won at Golden Isles; and Ricky Thornton won at Bubba. … Lucas Oil Series Georgia-Florida Speedweeks competition continues with Thursday’s open practice session at All-Tech Raceway in preparation for Friday’s $12,000-to-win opener and Saturday’s $15,000-to-win finale at the Ellisville, Fla.-oval.
On the move: Tanner English of Benton, Ky., started 27th and finished 12th; Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., started 17th and finished sixth.
Winner's sponsors: Davenport’s Double L Motorsports Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Cornett Racing Engine and sponsored by Nutrien Ag Solutions, ASC Warranty, Spartan Mowers, Mark Martin Automotive, Lucas Oil, Mega Plumbing of the Carolinas, VP Racing Fuels, Bilstein, Hoosier Racing Tire, Go Lithium, Midwest Sheet Metal and K1 RaceGear.
Points chase: After Ocala Monday: 1. Brandon Overton (1,135); 2. Ricky Thornton Jr. (1,075); 3. Jonathan Davenport (965); T4. Devin Moran (930); T4. Tim McCreadie (930); 6. Hudson O’Neal (920); 7. Tanner English (915); 8. Brandon Sheppard (890); 9. Earl Pearson Jr. (850) 10. Daulton Wilson (815).
Current weather: Clear, 68°F
Car count: 39
Fast qualifier: Ashton Winger
Time: 14.420 seconds
Polesitter: Ashton Winger
Heat race winners: Ashton Winger, Dennis Erb Jr., Jonathan Davenport, Tyler Erb
Consolation race winners: Tim McCreadie, Kyle Bronson
Provisional starters: Brandon Sheppard, Daulton Wilson, Garrett Alberson, Spencer Hughes, Tanner English, Ross Robinson
Next series race: February 3, All-Tech Raceway (Ellisville, FL) $12,000
Editor's note: Results and race details are unofficial.
From staff reports

OCALA, Fla. (Jan. 30) — Shaking off a discouraging night just 24 hours earlier at Bubba Raceway Park, Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, Ga., led 37 of 40 laps to win Monday’s BRP Winter Nationals finale at the quirky D-shaped track just north of Ocala.

Davenport, set the overall fastest lap among 39 entries during time trials on Sunday, but his time was negated when his car weighed in 23 pounds light. Davenport salvaged an eighth-place finish after starting 19th in Sunday’s main event. On Monday, the three-time Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series champion had to work equally as hard, but didn’t have to pass near as many competitors.

He led the first 25 laps from the outside front row starting position, gave way to third-starting Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill., for three laps and then led the final 12 circuits for his first Lucas Oil Series win of the season and a $10,000 payday.

"I screwed up off of turn four there (and let Dennis Erb by),” said Davenport. “It was getting pretty slick and then it was starting to take rubber in a few places, so I just pushed her across the corner and left the bottom open. Luckily (Erb Jr.) raced me clean and I had a pick there with (Kyle) Bronson. So I just drove the s--- out of it and tried to get back by him and hold him up behind Bronson. Then I knew I couldn't do that again.”

After regaining the lead, Davenport had to hold on following cautions on lap 37 and lap 39 before winning by 1.061 seconds ahead of polesitter Ashton Winger of Hampton, Ga., who slipped by Erb Jr. on the restart with three laps to go. Furth-starting Tyler Erb of New Waverly, Texas, and Devin Moran of Dresden, Ohio, who started 12th, completed the top five in the 40-lap feature slowed by four cautions.

“I was afraid on one of those last restarts that somebody was going to throw a hail Mary around the top there,” Davenport said. “I didn't know how good it was, but I was just going to stick to what we was doing there. Man it feels good to be back up here in victory lane. My guys have been working really hard. It's just circumstantial stuff is the reason I think we ain't been up here (with a Lucas Oil Series win) yet. Just dumb racing luck and that's what you got to have sometimes is a little bit of luck to go with a fast car."

It wasn’t necessarily luck, but when Erb Jr. drove by Davenport on the bottom, forcing him to ride a width higher for a few laps, Davenport found the traction he needed to stay even up front. He then got a whale of a run exiting turn two and motored back by Erb Jr. on the outside to secure the lead for good.

“I was just moving around there and just kept trying to find a little bit of brown there,” Davenport said. “I was afraid I was going to move to the brown and out of the rubber but I just kept changing my line a little bit every lap just trying to find something, just trying to make (crew chief and spotter) Cory (Fostvedt) up here a little happier so he could hold those sticks a little further apart.”

Davenport managed to stay just ahead of Erb Jr. as the laps wound down, but the two late cautions gave Winger an opportunity to grab second and set his sights on the leader and his first career Lucas Oil Series win.

“J.D. just out drove me there,” said Winger. “I had two shots, the start and probably my best shot was that last restart where I was able to find that middle down there in (turns) one and two and roll through that corner. I just didn't really get turned down here to catch that brown down the straightaway and I let Dennis get back up beside me and that was just all I could do was to hang on to second.”

Winger who won back-to-back Crate Late Model starts Jan. 27-28 during the 47th annual Winternationals at East Bay Raceway Park in Gibsonton, Fla., improved one spot from Sunday’s third-place effort at Bubba Raceway Park, was neither disappointed nor overjoyed with Monday’s runner-up finish.

“You know, we're running good and this is awesome, but I expect a lot out of myself,” Winger said. “We're having good runs and we're not tearing nothing up, it's just I think I'm good enough to race with these guys. I just make really dumb mistakes sometimes in my head.

“My car is really good. I really feel like I had a car capable of keeping pace there and contending for a win, I just didn't do what I needed to do to put ourselves in the right spot. J.D. did a good job and I'm glad to get to race with him and learn from him.”

Being close enough to Davenport to take advantage of the leader’s mistake was a positive for Erb Jr. following a lackluster Georgia-Florida Speedweeks thus far. After his night ended with his car perched on its side on top of Tim McCreadie’s car following a crash on a restart late in Sunday’s feature — knocking him from a top-five finish — Erb Jr. was simply glad to leave Ocala with a solid podium finish, his best of the season.

“I probably should have moved around a little bit,” Erb Jr. said. “The car was working good. I just had a little bit of a problem over in turns three and four, steering, to come off the corner good over there. All in all, after last night to have a good finish here tonight really helps.”

Notes: Davenport won his 66th career Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series race, his 17th career Georgia-Florida Speedweeks feature and his third Lucas Oil Series event at Bubba Raceway Park. … He won at Ocala in 2016 and 2018. … It marked Davenport’s first Georgia-Florida Speedweeks win since Feb. 9, 2020 at All-Tech Raceway in Ellisville, Fla. … The race was slowed by four cautions, the first in the opening lap thanks to a seven-car melee involving Hudson O’Neal, Tanner English, Jack Riggs, Logan Roberson, Wil Herrington, Brandon Sheppard and Kyle Larson. … Herrington and Larson were finished for the night, while Riggs completed just two laps and Roberson just six laps. … The second caution came out when Kyle Bronson spun on the lap-one restart. … Third caution was on lap 37 when Blair Nothdurft spun in turn three. … The fourth and final caution waved when Ricky Thornton Jr. spun in turn four after contact from Devin Moran, giving up the fifth position with on lap remaining. Moran accepted blame for the incident during his postrace interview. … Thornton’s spin relegated him to 19th, snapping his streak of three straight podium finishes to start the Lucas Oil Series season. ... English managed to rally from 27th to finish 12th. … The series is off until Feb. 3-4 at All-Tech.  

Feature lineup

(40 laps)
Row 1: Ashton Winger, Jonathan Davenport
Row 2: Dennis Erb Jr., Tyler Erb
Row 3: Ricky Thornton Jr., Brandon Overton
Row 4: Max Blair, Chase Junghans
Row 5: Matt Cosner, Earl Pearson Jr.
Row 6: Hudson O’Neal, Devin Moran
Row 7: Garrett Smith, Tyler Bruening
Row 8: Brian Shirley, Wil Herrington
Row 9:  Tim McCreadie, Kyle Bronson
Row 10: Jack Riggs, Blair Nothdurft
Row 11: Logan Roberson, Kyle Larson
Row 12: Brandon Sheppard, Daulton Wilson
Row 13: Garrett Alberson, Spencer Hughes
Row 14: Tanner English, Ross Robinson

Consolation race results

(10 laps; top three transfer)

First consolation: Tim McCreadie, Jack Riggs, Logan Roberson, Daulton Wilson, Jimmy Owens, Boom Briggs, Garrett Alberson, Ross Robinson, Brenden Smith, Tanner English. DNS: Mark Whitener, Mike Benedum.

Second consolation: Kyle Bronson, Blair Nothdurft, Kyle Larson, Spencer Hughes, Brandon Sheppard, G.R. Smith, Chad Walter, Blake Spencer, Payton Freeman, Dustin Walker, Shane Clanton.

Heat race results

(Eight laps, top four transfer)

First heat: Ashton Winger, Ricky Thornton Jr., Matt Cosner, Garrett Smith, Tim McCreadie, Logan Roberson, Mark Whitener, Ross Robinson, Boom Briggs. Brenden Smith.

Second heat: Dennis Erb Jr., Max Blair, Hudson O’Neal, Brian Shirley, Jack Riggs, Jimmy Owens, Daulton Wilson, Tanner English, Mike Benedum, Garrett Alberson (light at scales).

Third heat: Jonathan Davenport, Brandon Overton, Earl Pearson Jr., Tyler Bruening, G.R. Smith, Blair Nothdurft, Spencer Hughes, Blake Spencer, Chad Walter, Dustin Walker.

Fourth heat: Tyler Erb, Chase Junghans, Devin Moran, Wil Herrington, Kyle Larson, Kyle Bronson, Brandon Sheppard, Payton Freeman. DNS: Shane Clanton.

Pre-race notes

The fifth race of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series season takes place on a pleasant Monday night at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, Fla., with temperatures hovering around the mid-80s for most of the day and an expected low of 55 once the night falls. … Fresh off a third-place run Sunday and pair of Crate wins at East Bay Raceway Park, Ashton Winger of Senoia, Ga., raced to fast time honors with a lap of 14.420 seconds. … 2021 NASCAR Cup champion Kyle Larson of Elk Grove, Calif., is back for more Monday at Bubba after a thrilling victory Friday at Golden Isles Speedway in Brunswick, Ga. … Ricky Thornton Jr. of Martinsville, Ind. — riding the momentum of Sunday’s victory at Bubba and four straight podium finishes — has a chance to take the Lucas Oil Series points lead for the first time in his career as he trails Brandon Overton by five markers. … Shane Clanton of Zebulon, Ga.; Tyler Bruening of Decorah, Iowa; and Tanner English of Benton, Ky., were light at the post-qualifying scales. Clanton had qualified second quickest and was set to start from the pole of the fourth heat before crossing the scales 50 pounds light. While English and Bruening accepted the penalty of starting at the rear in the heat, a frustrated Clanton decided to pack up his equipment for the rest of evening.

Time trials

Driver (car no.), hometown
Group A
1. Ashton Winger (12), Hampton, Ga., 14.420
2. Dennis Erb Jr. (28), Carpentersville, Ill., 14.444
3. Ricky Thornton Jr. (20rt), Chandler, Ariz., 14.452
4. Max Blair (111), Centerville, Pa., 14.465
5. Garrett Smith (10), Eatonton, Ga., 14.486
6. Garrett Alberson (58), Las Cruces, N.M., 14.491
7. Mark Whitener (5), Middleburg, Fla., 14.495
8. Brian Shirley (3s), Chatham, Ill., 14.646
9. Matt Cosner (66), Ridgeley, W.Va., 14.677
10. Hudson O’Neal (1), Martinsville, Ind., 14.681
11. Tim McCreadie (39), Watertown, N.Y., 14.777
12. Daulton Wilson (18D), Fayetteville, N.C., 14.794
13. Logan Roberson (89), Waynesboro, Va., 14.819
14. Jack Riggs (81J), Nolensville, Tenn., 14.849
15. Ross Robinson (7), Georgetown, Del., 14.853
16. Mike Benedum (25), Salem, W.Va., 14.908
17. Boom Briggs (99B), Bear Lake, Pa., 14.914
18. Jimmy Owens (20), Newport, Tenn., 15.053
19. Brenden Smith (17SS), Dade City, Fla., 15.116
20. Tanner English (96v), Benton, Ky., 14.679 (light at scales)
Group B
1. Earl Pearson Jr. (46), Jacksonville, Fla., 14.462
2. Tyler Erb (1), New Waverly, Texas, 14.670
3.. Jonathan Davenport (49), Blairsville, Ga., 14.756
4. Kyle Larson (6), Elk Grove, Calif., 14.768
5. Brandon Overton (76), Evans, Ga., 14.774
6. Chase Junghans (18), Manhattan, Kan., 14.7837
7. Dustin Walker (14W), Polk, Mo., 14.831
8. Devin Moran (99), Dresden, Ohio, 14.838
9. Blake Spencer (6s), St. Augustine, Fla., 14.851
10. Wil Herrington (19m), Cochran, Ga., 14.918
11. Spencer Hughes (11), Meridian, Miss., 14.951
12. Brandon Sheppard (B5), New Berlin, Ill., 15.004
13. G.R. Smith (2), Cornelius, N.C., 15.022
14. Kyle Bronson (40B), Brandon, Fla., 15.067
15. Blair Nothdurft (76), Renner, S.D., 15.078
16. Payton Freeman (22), Commerce, Ga., 15.429
17. Chad Walter (23), Jacksonville, Mo., 15.818
18. Shane Clanton (25), Zebulon, Ga., 14.533 (light at scales)
19. Tyler Bruening (16), Decorah, Iowa, 14.938 (light at scales)

Monday’s schedule

(All times local)
2 p.m.: Pits open
3 p.m.: Grandstands open
5 p.m.: Drivers’ meeting
5:30 p.m.: Hot laps
- Super Late Models
Qualifying
- Super Late Models
Opening ceremonies
Heat races

- Super Late Models (8 laps)
Consolation races
- Super Late Models (10 laps)
Features
- Super Late Models (40 laps)

Feature lineup

Row 1: Winger, Davenport
Row 2: D. Erb Jr., T. Erb
Row 3: Thornton, Overton
Row 4: Blair, Junghans
Row 5: Cosner, Pearson
Row 6: O’Neal, Moran
Row 7: Ga. Smith, Bruening
Row 8: Shirley, Herrington
Row 9:  McCreadie, Bronson
Row 10: Riggs, Nothdurft
Row 11: Roberson, Larson
Row 12: Sheppard, Wilson
Row 13: Alberson, Hughes
Row 14: English, Robinson

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